balladofthevanaifandomcom-20200213-history
Varria
The Kingdom of Varria is a realm located in the Westlands, ruled by a monarch (currently Bram III). The Kingdom was founded in 233. History Early History The Westlands were first inhabited by people over 5,000 years ago. These early settlers travelled from the Suttish Desert. Little is known about these early settlers. During this period many kingdoms and nations rose and fell. Galt and the Vanai Around 115 BR the Kingdom of Errian, one of the most powerful pre-Katavin Westish nations, was founded by Almor the Fierce. By this point, other kingdoms present include Herrick, Cray and many more. Galt the Elder, at the time a herder banished to Mount Errian, began to hear divine voices in 1 BR. By the following year he had converted the King of Errian, Gorgo, to his new religion. This wave of conversion also took under its wing the Kings of Herrick and Cray and many of the smaller northern kingdoms. This religion brought forth a sense of unity between the various nations. After Galt the Elder's death in 7 AR, he is replaced by his son - Galt the Younger as the head of the religion. Galt the Younger was eventually declared Grand Magister. After his passing in 39 AR he is succeeded by Ornios, the Magister of Sark in an election held by the magisters. During this early period, the religious unity and the sense of piety felt by many of the kings and nobles led to an era of peace, which further popularised the Faith amongst the masses. In 42 AR the 24 Vanai Princes appear in the Westlands before setting up a camp near Whitepeak. The following year, they meet with Grand Father Ornios and an assortment of kings at the Silver Field, their camp. The Vanai declared they simply wished to settle and offered gold and jewels for private lands. The kings accepted and the Vanai settled independently of each other throughout the Westlands. Over the following decades the Vanai established various settlements such as Calmon (now Callinkay) which was founded by Monasser. During this period the Vanai began using the style of Prince as their influence grew. Grand Father Colvin, Ornios' successor declared that the Vanai would be considered heretics if they did not submit themselves to the might of the Faith in 61 AR. Many nobles, whilst originally welcoming of their wealthy tenants, had begun to feel wary of the Princes, whose influence had grown hugely and now rivalled the kings in whose land they had settled. Their lack of allegiance to the Faith was also a source of concern to the magisters. Wishing to avoid a potential civil war as many commonfolk had come to admire and serve the Vanai, Ornios sent out the missive. All but one of the Vanai converted to the Faith except Derun, Prince of the Isle. Derun had established himself on the unclaimed island of Rosgan in the Great Channel. Unbound by a higher authority he did not need to appease the mainlanders' concerns. However the move did incite tensions between himself and the other Princes and eventually led to a war. In 66 AR Derun landed at Nightbeach and, with his army, overthrew the Vanai Prince Pellader. Pellader was personally executed by Derun after the battle. Besides this initial engagement, Derun consistently lost battle after battle due to overwhelming forces gathered from around the Westlands. In 70 AR during the siege and subsequent battle on his own island, Derun was killed by Corin Twice-Speared. After their victory over Derun the Vanai Princes' authority over their kings grew until they effectively ruled over the entirety of the Westlands. As part of the bargain for defeating Derun, the Princes demanded that all Kings renounce their thrones or else they would turn on their former masters with their personal armies at their heels. The magisters, anxious to ensure their power remained, threw in their lot with the Princes and in 71 AR the various kings of the Westlands renounced their sovereignty and declared themselves Earls in what became known as the Treaty of Calmon - ''The various Kingdoms were to consolidate into Shires and the Vanai were not to enact direct rule, thus creating the Westish Confederation. The Shires of Anland, Angshire, Marshire, Herrickshire, and Wysland are the some of these Kingdoms. The Kingdom of the Haymon was divided into Olginshire and Sarkshire with some parts lying in what is now Kanvershire. The Kingdom of Cray became Marshire - taking its name from its Shire Town. Callinshire and the South Shores were consolidated from various Southron minor and petty kingdoms. Arrowhead Isle was a vassal of the Kingdom of Evron (based in what is now Avonstone). Longshire and Angshire were formed from the ancient kingdoms of Anemmon and Angfall respectively (these kingdoms had long since been divided into small states but united as these entities again under the agreement struck). The Royal Holding was later created from land from the South Shores and Callinshire. Katavin Occupation After a small diplomatic party from the Katavin Empire failed to make contact with the Princes, Emperor Rhodin landed on Arrowhead Isle. The local Princes, Weldin and Sorrus, retaliated only to be imprisoned by Rhodin’s men. The other Princes capitulated after Rhodin massacred the majority of the island. He established a garrison in the region before returning to mass a full fleet to secure the Westlands as part of his empire. Rhodin was killed in a storm whilst returning to the Westlands. His brother, Katar IV, succeeded and placed his younger brother Ormo in charge as governor. To cement his position as supreme authority, Ormo had Weldin and Sorrus executed publicly in 78 AR. This act was followed up with a dinner for the remaining twenty Princes of whom ten accepted the invitation. Those that did were poisoned and the rest chased into hiding. This act led to the War of Retribution with the Earls of Herrick, Calmon, Sark and Errian raising an army to wage war with Ormo. The war ended quickly and disastrously for the rebels. The Houses of Calmon, Sark and Errian are executed en masse whilst the Herrick family surrenders. Jorn, the Earl of Herrick, is executed but his family are pardoned. After Ormo is murdered in 88 AR, Katar IV assigns his younger son, Rhodin the Wolf, to the governate. During his reign Alfos the Bold, King of the North Holds raided the settlements around Herrick. The new Emperor Jarrho I (Rhodin's elder brother), demanded that Rhodin not retaliate but the order was refused culminating in the defeat of Alfos and Rhodin declaring the North Holds his territory before ultimately declaring himself Emperor of the Westlands in 94 AR. This began the War of the Brother Emperors in which Udar, Jarrho and Rhodin's youngest brother, fought against Rhodin on behalf of the Empire. Jarrho was ultimately victorious. Udar and Rhodin both perished in the war. The North Holds are kept part of the Empire but become their own governate, separate to the Westlands. At this point the capital of the Westlands was moved from Nightbeach to Angfall where the seat of the governor became the Autumnal Palace. In 105 AR Jarrho rewarded the governor of the Westlands, Vanaris with the title of Prince of the Westlands and made the position hereditary. Vanaris took upon himself the family name Rhion (meaning Man of Fire). The Westlands were divided into the Northern Marches (ruled at first by the House of Rhion from Angfall), the Mountains (ruled by the House of Herrick from the town of Herrick), Arrowhead and Western Coast (ruled by the Blackland family), the Heartland and the Rivers (ruled by the Kays), and Thule and the Bannak Marches (ruled by the Oakins). This system of early feudalism laid the foundations of the power structure used currently. Over the next century the region was ruled peacefully under the Rhion Princes. Great Rebellion After the fall of the Empire in 226, many former imperial supporters flocked to the Westlands for safety. In 227, Prince Morus declared himself Kinf of the Westlands and Defender of the Kurho Faith before burning the Sancta in Angfall and butchering the Grand Magister and thousands of others he decreed heretics. The Callinkay family (rulers of the Heartland and Rivers) purged the Ghaleri slums as well. Erik Vard, Lord of Astondale, declared in response that his town was a haven to the faithful. This led to Morus marching on the settlement a week later. Knowing that the king would retaliate, Erik massed support from various nobles and was able to gather reinforcements who attacked Morus' forces from the rear. This coalition included the Houses of Mallory, Herrick and Roose. Support was also found in the south, with a sister rebellion led by the Oakins, Kays and Bowers against the Blacklands and Callinkays. The war ended in a Rebel victory in 233 with Morus executed in Angfall and Lord Erik Vard declared King of the Westlands. The war created a serious power vacuum as many senior noble family lines were extinguished. Erik founded a small settlement around a southern keep and declared it his capital - Varden. During this early period of his reign he split the Westlands between the two major cultures - the Varrians and the Thulish - and declared himself King of Varria and Thule. He gave regency of Thule to Kaspa of Halyn, the nephew of the last Oakin lord, and split Varria into the North, South and Coast - giving these to the Houses of Mallory, Erred, and Bower, respectively. Erik gave his younger brother, Henrik, to the North Holds by marrying him to the daughter of the last High Earl. However this led to a civil war between the new Vard-Aster family and the High Earl's nephew who revived the Aster family under his banner. This led to the North Holds throwing their support behind either Eastbay or Asteran). Independence After Erik's death in 242, his son Darrion became king. Only months after his coronation Lord Ector, Lord Governor of Thule, declared himself king. After a year of heavy fighting with little ground made, Darrion abandoned his claim to Thule and Ector is declared the first King of Thule. Darrion's son, Darrion II, founded the College of Varria in 282 in order to facilitate learning and to strengthen the Kingdom. He installed his cousin, Alexos, as Master of the College. The endeavour was a success and the new wave of learned men, known as the Order of Scribes, under Darrion allowed him to stabilise the kingdom, which was necessary after the shaky reign of his father. However, after the the costs of upkeep became far higher, the King and Alexos brokered a deal: the College would lose a large proportion of the money it garnered from the crown, but who gain a greater measure of autonomy. This seemed to be weighed heavily in Darrion's favour - the crown would still receive an influx of learned men and would be paying less for it. However, Alexos has been making deals and agreements with many members of the nobility. Once he had his independence, these lords began to pay endowments to the College and in return would gain access to the Scribes. Before long all noble families had entered into this agreement. Darrion was furious to learn of his cousin's deception however he died in 304. His daughter, Queen Edane I, did not take the matter any further. Edane's ascension to the throne raised an interesting point surrounding the law of succession. Her two elder brothers, Princes Erik and Willas, had predeceased their father and had both died childless. She was therefore the heir presumptive. She was married to Sir Alivas Aston, heir of the House of Aston. This meant that any progeny of theirs would become Lord of Astondale as well as King of Varria. This idea of royalty holding feudal holdings was not desired by the other lords who would see this as a tactic to increase royal land holdings. The Great Courts of the Realm were called in to deliberate and drafted the ''Acts of Titular Succession in 304. Any consort of a monarch would lose all claim on their family's holdings as would any descendent of this union (barring later marriage into the lesser family's line of succession). This meant Sir Alivas could not succeed his father and instead his brother, Berin, would become heir. In order to appease the large Royalist faction, the Successionists ''declared that this ruling would apply to all titles, and that only through later creation could new titles be acquired by families. It also legally confirmed the tradition that members of noble houses who were further separated from a prior head of that house by two or more intermediate generations would lose all claim and use of the family name (i.e. the children and grandchildren of a family's head were ensured that they would be allowed to use the family name but great-grandchildren were not). The queen's reign was long and prosperous. She was well loved by the people though her marriage to Alivas was tense as he was not happy about the loss of his own power. In 306, Edane named her husband ''Prince Alivas, Consort of Varria and Earl of the Royal Holding. This creation of the title of the Earl of the Royal Holding has since been passed down through the royal family as is usually used as a courtesy title for the heir apparent. Alivas died in 318 and his son, Darrion (288-324), became the Earl of the Royal Holding. Wars with Thule In 339, Edane died at the age of 80 and she was succeeded by her grandson, Erik II. Erik was the son of Prince Darrion, from whom he had succeeded the title of Earl of the Royal Holding after Darrion died in battle in 324. Erik's reign was short but relatively stable. Erik II died without any heirs and so his uncle, Bram, was crowned Bram I. Bram's reign was marred by war against Thule (due to Bram's marriage to the sister of King Sorrel of Thule). Only months after Bram was made king, Sorrel died and Bram decided to press his wife's claim on the Kingdom. He was constantly rebuffed and the 2nd Varrian-Thulish War ended with Thulish victory. Bram was shamed and spent the remainder of his rule isolated in his palace at Oldthistle. His son, Bram, was made regent and managed to begin paying his father's war debts. Bram I died in 360 and was succeeded by his son and regent, who reigned as Bram II, known popularly as Bram Silver-Tongue. This led to a resurgence in economic growth which was helped along by clement weather and strong harvests. Bram died 378, aged 61. His son, Erik III, swiftly used the full coffers of his father to declare war on Thule, beginning the 3rd Varrian-Thulish War. Erik was killed in the Battle of Previn Woods in 380 alongside his son and heir, Prince Bram, known commonly as Bram the Black. Erik was succeeded by his brother, Darrion III who continued the conquest with more success, eventually taking Previn, Southwold and Runnick. After the regency of Dowager Queen Lilyn ended and the young Kaspa II of Thule reached maturity, he was able to personally lead decisive strikes against Darrion III's forces and retake Southwold and Previn in 381 and Runnick in 383. By 384 the war was over and the Darrion dropped his claim for the Thulish throne. The successive wars against Thule had served to strengthen the South's military power and the Southern Legion, originally the Southern Regiment of Horse, ''was expanded to include additional regiments of infantry and cavalry. The now-weakened kings were unable to stop this. Queens' War Robsen I, Darrion's son, succeeded Darrion. After him, his sister Mateld was declared Queen of Varria in 404 as Robsen's true heir, Princess Edane, was married to Sir Stedan Canter. Mateld was seen as precocious and wasteful. She had married the younger son of Lord Petros Bower, Sir Tridian Bower (who was made Prince Tridian). However she, and her father-in-law, sought to rid themselves of the power threat the Southern Legion posed. She declared the army illegal and demanded that Lord Yannick Erred travel to Varden to stand trial for treason. In response, Yannick sent a message to Sir Stedan Canter, whom he had exiled prior, promising him amnesty if he returned with his wife and an army. In the meantime, Yannick sent his men to the border and rallied his vassals in preparation for war. A year later in the summer of 405, Sir Stedan and Princess Edane landed near Callinkay with a mercenary army - the ''Company of the Pale Hand. ''They were met by Lord Yannick, who pledged himself to Princess Edane. Edane was provisionally crowned on Callin Eyot in early 406 before beginning their military campaign against Queen Mateld. This was the ''Queens' War. ''Queen Mateld suffered early defeats at the Battle of Littleford, where her brother-in-law and Bower heir, Sir Joharr Bower was killed; and the Siege of Parder Manor before making headway during the Battle of the Thess Ford; the Siege of Westonbray; and the Siege of Greyharbour. When Greyharbour fell in spring 407, Edane's territory had been pushed back to Callinkay itself and her husband, Sir Stedan, had been killed by Prince Tridian. Her luck turned around, however, as Lord Rabard Mallory declared for Queen Edane and rallied most of his vassals. After taking Longford and encroaching into Wysland the coastal lords' loyalty began to waver. In the autumn of 407, Lord Petros Bower was killed on the orders of Aron Bower, his youngest son and presumptive heir. The now-Lord Aron declared for Queen Edane, on the promise of taking Mateld's daughter, Isolla, as his wife. With few allies remaining, Queen Mateld secured herself in Varden with her husband and children, Prince Robsen and Princess Isolla. Her most powerful allies now were: Lord Sadler Loman, Earl-in-exile of Longshire; Sir Marden Antum, Robsen's brother-in-law; Perra Bower, Prince Robsen's sister and Sir Marden's wife; Master Reckart, Master of the College; First Sentinel Quillin Rushby; and Sir Wick Vorny, Constable of Varden. By late spring in the year 408 Varden was besieged by the combined armies of Lord Aron Bower, Lord Rabard Mallory, Lord Yannick Erred, and Queen Edane of Varria. The siege was long and arduous. The grain supplies from the surrounding settlements had been ransacked and many of the people now within Varden's walls. The attackers were running out of food and before long many began to mutiny, diverting the attention away from the cities and toward the skirmishes with deserters and bandits. The siege lasted until the Newyear of 409. The food supplies ran low and morale was lower inside the city walls and many of the civilians began to riot. Sir Wick Vorny was killed during one such riot. After days of unrest, Master Reckart of the College betrayed his queen and demanded the Sentinels open the city gates. Queen Edane's armies poured in and took the city with little opposition. Queen Mateld and her children escaped the city and managed to board a ship to Rhos Oro. In Erik's Square, Master Reckart declared the Queens' War over and crowned Queen Edane as the true ruler of Varria. In the immediate aftermath Sir Marden Antum and his wife, Perra were tried for treason and executed by beheading. Prince Tridian, who had stayed behind to ensure his wife escaped, was executed by First Sentinel Quillin Rushby. Lord Sadler Loman committed suicide by throwing himself out of a window in Varden Keep to avoid capture. Lord Aron Bower was made Lord Justice, Lord Yannick Erred was made Royal Steward, and Lord Rabard Mallory was offered the position of Lord Marshal, but he turned it down to return to Angfall. Queen Edane remarried in 411 to Bram of Oldthistle, her cousin and only possible other claimant to the throne. Her son and heir, Prince Darrion, was eventually married off to Lord Aron Bower's daughter, in reparation for the inability to marry Isolla. Mateld died in Rhos Oro, unable to secure funds or alies to help her retake the throne. Her daughter was eventually married to the King of Rhos Oro and Robsen died of a pox in 415. Second Civil War After Mateld's expulsion and Edane's coronation, the realm returned to an uneasy peace. Many families were left with their former head imprisoned or dead. Some cadet branches, such as that of the Lomans, had to succeed their main line. The Southern Legion was deemed a legal and honourable entity. However, the pressing question of the royal power versus the nobles' power was raised and a convening of the Great Courts passed the ''Acts of Noble Rights ''in 417. This verdict ensured that royals could not interfere with anyone but their direct vassals (the Lord Governors, and the Royal Holding). To allow kingdom-wide laws to prevail, however, each of the Great Families was ensured a seat on the Royal Council, though the role may vary. As the law did not affect the Lord Governor's power, it still gave them near-supreme jurisdiction over their respective province. The later years of Edane II's reign were concerned with rebuilding the nation. Lord Ector Sunn, Earl of Tullvale, attempted an invasion of Varria in 423 but was swiftly defeated as though much of the nation was still weak, the Southern Legion was able to easily expand. Edane II died in 450, aged 65. Her eldest son, Darrion succeeded her as Darrion IV. In 452 Darrion attempted to repeal the ''Acts of Noble Rights' '''and return supreme authority to the King. Riots ensued and many lords rallied around his younger half-brother, Aldur. Darrion was killed in battle at Porden in early 453 and Aldur took the throne. He died in 472 and was succeeded by his son, Darrion V. A United Nation Darrion V followed his father by ensuring there would be no more wars within the Kingdom. He even read aloud the Acts of Noble Rights during his coronation. He eventually earned the moniker "Peacemaker". However, with Darrion's death in 500 King Matheas of Thule, a descendent of Mateld's daughter Isolla, began making claims that he was eligible for the throne of Varria. He attempted an invasion in 502 and, as there had not been war on the Southern Border since Lord Sunn's War in 423, there was little resistance. Lord Berin Erred met King Matheas at Thornhall in 503. King Matheas was slain in personal combat with Lord Berin's son, Sir Lucan Erred. Following the war Matheas' successor and brother, Kaspa IV, and King Darrion VI signed the ''Treaty of Thornhall which ensured peace for a lifetime. Darrion's sister, Elena, was married off to Kaspa. Darrion VI died in 539 and was succeeded by his son, Robsen II. Robsen II's reign was short and featured only one main event: the Surdic War. The Surdic people were a Hillic clan who had taken refuge during the chaos after the Great Rebellion. They had grown powerful and, after the King's son was slain by Lord Shand Aine of Anland for poaching in 540, he led a huge raid into Aine Forest. Lord Edwin Mallory mustered his men and marched against King Arpad of Surda. All the lords responded but Sir Willas Marsden, son and heir of the ailing Lord Lucan Marsden, refused to answer the call to arms. It was his right but it was a deeply unpopular move. Lord Edwin won the war and pushed back the invasion in a matter of weeks. A New King In 544, King Robsen II passed away and was succeeded by his son, Bram, as King Bram III. He quickly arranged his council, keeping most members but - as is customary - choosing a new Royal Steward. He chose his best friend and hero of the Surdic War, Lord Edwin Mallory. Only months after his coronation, Bram was faced with rebellion in the North. Lord Lucan Marsden had died and the now-Lord Willas Marsden had banished his brothers and mocked Lord Edwin for his moving to the capital. Willas' brother, Sir Alivas requested permission to arrest his brother for his offences. After two Knights Herald were imprisoned and one executed by Lord Willas, Bram III declared him guilty of treason and began the Marsden War. Bram and Edwin were victorious and Lord Willas fled to Rooton and eventually to Thule. Geography Physical Geography Varria is a large kingdom, comprising the middle three fifths of the Westlands. To the north lie the North Holds, and to the south, the Kingdom of Thule. To the west lies the Green Sea, a channel that separates the Westlands from Arrho. To the east lie the Umber Mountains, the border between the Westlands and Ostnor: the rest of the continent. The majority of the kingdom is flat lowlands, with mountainous regions to the northeast and east. The north is characteriesed as more rural, with rugged uplands and craggy hills, whilst the southern half of the country has the most fertile land, containing the springs and marshes that make up the Haymon Riverlands, the larger area around the banks of the Haymon. The major rivers are the Callin, Haymon, Annemon, Fray, Errit, Aston and Thess. These all ultimately empty into the Green Sea. Divisions The Kingdom is split into three provinces: the North, South, and East. The provinces are ruled by a Lord Governor, an Earl within the province elevated above the others. The Kingdom is also split into thirteen shires: Anland, Angshire, Arrowhead Isle, Callinshire, Haymonshire, Herrickshire, Kanvershire, Longshire, Marshire, Sarkshire, the South Shores, Wysland, and the Royal Holding. These shires are ruled by the Earls. Government The Kingdom operates under a feudal system with a strict hierarchy of nobility in place. At the top, ruling of the entirety of the Kingdom is the King. Beneath him are the three Lord Governors who rule in the King's name over the three provinces. Beneath the Lord Governors are the Earls, rulers of the shires, and the Minor Lords beneath them. Below the Lords are the Knights and the commonfolk. Monarch Main Article: King of Varria Varria's sovereign head of state is the King, who is possessed with vast powers. They are a hereditary monarch, where the crown is passes from one member of the royal family to another, generally to the eldest male child or closest relative. The current king is Bram III, and the heir is Crown Prince Darrion. There have been three queens in the past. The current Royal House is the House of Vard. King's Council The King's power is consolidated in the Council of State, known more commonly as the King's Council. It is a small group of advisers and ministers who act in accordance with the King's wishes. The Council is headed by the Royal Steward (currently Lord Edwin Mallory, Lord Governor of the North). Its members are: * Lord Treasurer (Lord Bartem Erred, Lord Governor of the North) - responsible for the collection of taxes and payments from the King's Treasury * Lord Justice (currently vacant with Lord Edwin acting) - responsible for passing and enforcing the laws of the kingdom as well as commanding the Knights Herald * Lord Marshal (Lord Alivas Marsden, Earl of Marshire) - responsible for the King's armies in times of war * Lord Admiral (Lord Perris Bower) - responsible for the King's navies in times of war * King's Secretary (Sir Orin Halmire) - responsible for the King's communications and to ensure the recording of meetings * Lord Chamberlain (Sir Raylan Whitmarke) - responsible for the King's household * Master of the College (Master Ilian) - head of the College of Varria * Grand Magister of the Faith (Grand Father Leonis) - head of the Faith of Galthay It is customary for the Lord Governors or their heirs to be appointed to the King's Council with Bowers customarily serving as Lord Admirals. Great Courts In times of crisis the kingdom can muster the Great Courts of the realm. These are: The High Court (Nobles and Knights) and the Low Court (Commoners). If a pivotal decision needs to be made and the king is unavailable (due to sickness, imprisonment, or the end of the royal line), then the Great Courts pass motions. A closed question is formulated and first must pass through the Low then the High Court by a two-thirds majority to be enacted. Usually the delegates in the Low Court are bribed to ensure the decision goes ahead as the nobles wish. The High Court is comprised of a representative of every landed and titled family (of which there are around 200), whilst the Low Court is comprised of representatives (known as Deputies), elected from each riding. Local Governance As well as the King's Council, the Earls and other lords also hold court and have their own officials. Examples of titles are (as well as equivalents within the King's Council): * Bailiff - a nobleman or commoner of good standing who acts as the chief administrator within a bailiwick * Constable - head of a settlement's militia and law enforcement * Recorder of Deeds - responsible for the maintaining of public and legal records, an Elder Scribe from the College * Reeve - the chief enforcer and administrator of a Lord, will be the same across all a nobleman's demesne * Treasurer - looks after the settlement's coffers The entirety of Varria is split into around 300 areas known as Ridings. Ridings are the smallest area of governance. A riding can be a Town, District, Bailiwick, or Estate. * Towns are urban settlements with a mayor (usually elected) as head of government. Towns may also have a ceremonial head in their local noble, who will be given the title of Warden. * Districts are divisions of cities. Each district is headed by an elected bailiff. * Bailiwicks are rural areas, usually with one main settlement. A bailiwick also has a bailiff as its chief administrator, however rural bailiffs tend to hold more power than their urban counterparts. * Estates are the lands owned by a noble family. These parcels of land are considered their own riding and are ruled directly by their lord or knight. Lords and Knights Varria has, since becoming independent, been split into shires. These shires mostly reflect ancient kingdoms or peoples and are ruled by a lord with the rank of Earl. Under each Earl is a host of lords who operate semi-autonomously within their domain. Lords, in turn, rule over knights who may be landed (have land and can pass down their title), bonded (sworn to the service of their lord and non-hereditary), or ordered (sworn not to a lord but to a military order - of which only 3 remain). The Earls are: Aine of Anland, Mallory of Angshire, Bower of Arrowhead Isle and the South Shores, Erred of Callinshire, Olgin of Haymonshire, Mallory of Herrickshire, Sander of Kanvershire, Loman of Longshire, Marsden of Marshire, Pestrin of Sarkshire, and Elver of Wysland. Knightly Orders Knightly Orders have come and gone over the years and often serve well in times of war. However the recent relative peace and increased decentralisation means that the king has little need to create any orders. Those that remain, however, are: the Knights Herald, executors of the king's justice; the Sentinels, defenders of the College of Varria; and the Order of the Stag, a group of hunting companions for the king who serve as a ceremonial honour guard in war. Military Varria does not maintain a standing army loyal to the king. Levies are raised in times of war and laws and agreements between the nobles and knights ensure that men from the commonfolk are armed when needed. In the South, the Erreds host their own standing army: the Southern Legion. The Legion hosts around 15,000 men throughout the South, with most being professional soldiers. Those who enlist are contracted to serve for a minimum of three years. Other military groups include: The Knights Herald, a group under the Lord Justice of 60 knights who are permitted to carry out the king's justice; The Sentinels, 150 soldiers of the College of Varria who guard the king and the college; The Royal City Guard, soldiers under the Royal Constable who guard the city of Varden and the Royal Holding. Religion Most people in Varria follow the official religion of the Faith of Galthay, which is the predominant belief system across the Westlands, Benoviam and Nestarr. Specifically, the Westish tradition (as opposed to the Nestarri tradition). However other, smaller religious factions exist: A small group still adhere to Kurrho, the old Imperial religion; folk religions are still followed in the east, along the Border Mountains and in Dunn territory; the Dornik pantheon has a few followers, particularly in the northern coastal towns where many Dornik sailors work. Population Varria has a population of around 5,000,000. Of these, around 420,000 people (around 8%) live in towns and cities. The largest city by population is Callinkay. Largest Settlements The 10 largest settlements are: Language Most people in Varria speak Westish. The dialects of Westish spoken within the kingdom are mutually intelligible with that spoken in Thule and some of the North Holds (mostly Rooton and Eastbay). Culture Whilst Varrian identity is quite strong, there are still many cultures that exist within its borders. The largest cultural groups are: the Southron (majority in Callinshire, Kanvershire, South Shores, Arrowhead Isle, and the Royal Holding; minority in Wysland), the Fenlanders (majority in Sarkshire and Olginshire; minority in Kanvershire), the Meddish (majority in Angshire, Anland, Marshire, Herrickshire, Wysland, and Longshire; minority in Royal Holding), the Hillic (minority in Anland and Herrickshire). Currency Most transactions in Varria involve currency. The coinage is minted by the Lord Treasurer appointed by the King. There are golden crowns, silver marks and copper carns. Crowns are worth the most and have Erik's Crown stamped on one side and the king's face on the other. Only nobles would ever see gold currency. A peasant may make about a couple of Marks in a year if they are lucky. A loaf of bread is worth about a Half-Carn, depending on demand and location. A fair bottle of wine would cost around 2 Marks. There various coins are: * Half-Carn (Copper) * Carn (Copper) * Mark (Silver) = 20 Carns * Crown (Gold) = 10 Marks = 200 Carns * Grand Crown (Gold) = 5 Crowns = 50 Marks = 1000 Carns